


And when the sun rises, we'll be together

by denkibee



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Assassination, Character Death, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Infiltration, Kissing, M/M, Mentioned Akaashi Keiji, Mentioned Bokuto Koutarou, Mentioned Shirofuku Yukie - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:34:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28130988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/denkibee/pseuds/denkibee
Summary: “I’m not just gonna sit here and listen to orders that may have a higher chance of dying than succeeding,” Kuroo seethes, ready to storm into their boss’s office and refuse the offer, but Kenma grabs his arm before he can move.“Do you want us to lose our jobs? We have no choice but to do it.”“Kenma-”“Listen, it doesn’t have to be a head-on fight with them. We wouldn’t stand a chance if we did that. Instead, let’s make it an-”“Infiltration…” Kuroo finishes, his mood suddenly switching from anger to anticipation as he nods, attempting to maintain his professional attitude (and failing).
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Kozume Kenma, Hinata Shouyou & Kuroo Tetsurou, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19
Collections: Kuroken Christmas Exchange 2020





	And when the sun rises, we'll be together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sakusantic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakusantic/gifts).



“Kuro.”

Kuroo turns around, facing his childhood friend and partner (in crime). If the annoyed expression on Kenma’s face is anything to go by, he just got out of a meeting with their boss.

“What did she want?” Kuroo asks, standing closer to Kenma just in case he needs support.

“We have a mission. Just the two of us.” Kenma says quietly, sighing as if it’s the worst news he’s ever heard.

“Okay? You don’t have to sound so upset, we have been on missions together before y’know.” Kuroo replies, rolling his eyes light-heartedly. Kenma just stares at him, bored.

“Kuro, our target is the leader of a crime organisation. It’ll be just us, no backup. Is it clicking yet?” Kenma explains, softening his voice at the last sentence when realisation dawns on Kuroo.

Kuroo looks pissed off, more so than he usually gets when being put on a dangerous mission.

“That’s way too risky. I know she likes to put us on dangerous missions sometimes to ‘test our limits’ or whatever, but this is fucking insane.” Kuroo whisper-shouts, “Assassinating the leader of a crime organisation is going to be such a big risk, and it’s more than we can possibly handle by ourselves if things go south. One small mistake and we’re dead.” Kuroo says, his eyes wide as he stares at Kenma, who nods solemnly.

“I’m not just gonna sit here and listen to orders that may have a higher chance of dying than succeeding,” Kuroo seethes, ready to storm into their boss’s office and refuse the offer, but Kenma grabs his arm before he can move.

“Do you want us to lose our jobs? We have no choice but to do it.”

“Kenma-”

“Listen, it doesn’t have to be a head-on fight with them. We wouldn’t stand a chance if we did that. Instead, let’s make it an-” 

“Infiltration…” Kuroo finishes, his mood suddenly switching from anger to anticipation as he nods, attempting to maintain his professional attitude (and failing).

They stand in silence for a few minutes, Kenma fidgeting with one of the rings on his hand while Kuroo seems to be deep in thought.

After a while, the silence is broken by Kuroo.

“So, talk me through this so-called ‘crime organisation’ then.” Kuroo says, much more enthusiastic than he probably should be.

Kenma nods and they sit down at a table. He pulls out a large sheet of paper and lays it out in front of them, grabbing a marker and starting to write. As the minutes pass, Kuroo finds himself becoming more and more impressed by the amount of details Kenma knows about the organisation.

As if Kenma had heard what Kuroo was thinking, he explains “I did some research on them when I’d first heard about them.”

“That’s our mastermind strategist.” Kuroo says genuinely, nudging Kenma’s arm softly. 

Kenma continues writing, but there’s a slight blush on his face at the title Kuroo had given him when they were younger, playing video games together on the floor of Kuroo’s bedroom. 

Kenma shakes his head, focusing on the task in front of him. He finishes writing all the information he found and retained in his memory and pushes the paper towards Kuroo who stares down in disbelief.

“You remembered all of this? Kenma, that’s insane.” Kuroo praises, and Kenma just shrugs. Kuroo reads through the information, processing it in his mind and attempting to think of a plan that may heighten their chances of succeeding the mission. Kenma cuts his thoughts off and gestures for him to turn the page over. He does so, and is surprised to see a step-by-step plan.

“Kenma….” Kuroo whispers, admiration laced in his voice as he looks over the plan.

The first question Kuroo has is about a supposed ‘auction’ happening at some point.

“The higher ups of the organisation will be at that auction. That’s the best chance we have of somehow getting closer to them and hopefully being able to disguise ourselves as potential allies.” Kenma explains, and Kuroo nods.

“How are we going to infiltrate though? What’s our ‘backstory’ gonna be?” Kuroo asks, scanning over the plan again to see if he had just missed that, but it seems like Kenma had left that part out.

“I… decided to talk about that with you first.” Kenma says, looking down at the table in front of him. Kuroo just tilts his head, and Kenma takes that as a gesture to start speaking.

“I couldn’t think of anything for a while… So I went to talk to Akaashi.” Kenma starts, and Kuroo urges him to continue.

“He suggested that we…” Kenma pauses, avoiding eye contact with Kuroo, “Pretend to be a couple, so we can get closer to him.” He says, a deepened blush forming on his cheeks. It takes Kuroo a second to process what Kenma had just said, but once he does his face turns equally as red.

“What… how would that help us with the mission?” Kuroo asks, and Kenma turns the paper over and points to a section talking about how the organisation uses a marriage planning agency as a front for money laundering and fraud. Kuroo hums in understanding, and Kenma looks away.

“Okay. This seems like a thorough plan and is probably our best shot at succeeding. I have no objections. We will need to talk more about details of the actual assassination and how to get away, but this is a good infiltration plan. Great job, Kenma!” Kuroo cheers, ruffling Kenma’s hair with a wide grin on his face.

Kenma smiles softly at the praise, letting Kuroo’s hand stay rested on the top of his head for a while before pushing it away. 

“So, when’s the auction?” Kuroo asks, and Kenma’s face drops slightly.

“... It’s in two days.” Kenma says, and winces when he hears a sharp inhale from Kuroo, trying not to yell.

“Two days?!” Kuroo whispers, and Kenma nods. He knows it’s a difficult task but he had thought that they would be able to handle it but maybe Kuroo doesn’t think the same and thinks they’re going to fail and-

Kenma’s spiralling is cut off by a hand on his shoulder. Kuroo bends down slightly and puts his other hand on Kenma’s other shoulder.

“Calm down, Kenma; it’s gonna be difficult but we can do it. We always do. We’re just gonna have to work our asses off for the next two days, okay? It’s not impossible.” Kuroo comforts him, his voice soothing and easing the panic in Kenma’s chest. Kenma nods, and Kuroo grins, lifting his hands from Kenma’s shoulders and sitting back in his seat. 

And so they begin to plan what happens after they (hopefully) manage to infiltrate the organisation. They know that this isn’t going to be a quick mission. Hell, it could take months. But they’ll manage it, just as they always do. Nobody in the organisation has better teamwork than the two of them, despite them seeming to have completely contradicting personalities. They work better together than alone; they’re partners. It’s their job to work together and provide the best results possible.

They stay up all night planning and coming up with best/worst case scenarios. They have a backup plan in case the first one goes south, and they feel as prepared as they can be. They have to explain the plan to their boss, who is the ultimate decision maker in whether they can go ahead with their mission or not based on how thorough their plans are.

“And then we’ll sneak out quietly without being seen and come back here. It’ll probably take a few months since we’ll have to earn their trust, but we’re fairly confident that we’ll succeed, aren’t we, Kenma?” Kuroo finishes his explanation and nudges Kenma, who avoids eye contact with their boss.

“Very well, I believe you two can pull this off. You better not disappoint me though.” She says, and both men nod.

“Thank you, Shimizu-san.” They say in unison, Kenma’s voice slightly quieter than Kuroo’s. Once they get out of the office, they both exhale shakily, before looking at each other and smiling. They’ve done it, they’re going to proceed with the plan and hope to whatever gods are up there that it goes okay. 

They spend the rest of the day packing what they will need for the mission. Kenma carefully handles the small bottle of cyanide, wrapping it in bubble wrap and packaging it, making sure that it is secure and undetectable. Neither of them know how this mission is going to go and whether they’ll make it out alive, but that’s ultimately what their job as assassins entails. Who knows if you’ll make it out alive at the end of the day? All they can really do is hope for success and hope that their effort and hard work is worth it. 

They decide to head to sleep early, at only 11pm as they have to be up at 6am to catch the train to the auction. Neither of them get a particularly restful sleep, but it’s better than nothing. They need to be as rested as possible so they can clear their mind to focus on the mission the next day. It’s crucial that they don't lose concentration of the task at hand. Unnecessary interruption of their plans may lead to failure, which could very well cost them their lives. 

The following morning, Kenma walks into the main living area to see Kuroo there waiting for him. He rubs his eyes and waves good morning to Kuroo who waves back. They have roughly two hours until they have to get to the train station, so they focus on getting ready and eating, before checking that they have all of the equipment needed for the plan.

Once they’re sure everything is ready, they head out of the house and to the train station with their bags. Kenma had double- no, triple checked that the bottle of cyanide was still secure. That’s the most important item in this mission, as it’ll be what they use to kill the target. 

They board the train without a problem, and Kenma keeps his bag on his lap the entire time, to be safe. Both he and Kuroo feel extremely tense. Every step of this plan has to go perfectly. One mistake and it’s over for them. Kenma looks over at Kuroo, who seems to be calm. He knows better than that though. The thing with being friends since childhood is that they can read each other better than anybody else. That’s what makes their teamwork so effective.

At some point Kenma must have fallen asleep, because suddenly he is being shaken awake by Kuroo. He reluctantly opens his eyes to find everybody stepping off the train. Kenma jolts upright and tightens his grip on his bag. He looks up at Kuroo who is smiling nervously with his hand outstretched in front of him. Kenma takes it and stands up, wobbling a little as he tries to regain his senses. 

Once they’re both ready, they look at each other and nod slightly, exiting through the doors of the train and stepping onto the platform. Kenma swings his bag over his shoulder carefully, keeping his grip on the strap tight as several people brush against him in the busy train station. Kuroo is beside him, and also trying to protect the bag (or Kenma). 

As soon as they get out of the station and into the open air, they both breathe a sigh of relief. Kenma pulls out his phone from his pocket and searches for the location of the auction. 

“Got it, let’s go.” Kenma says, dragging Kuroo along to where a taxi has stopped on the side of the road. They get in and give the driver the address of the auctioning hall, and they’re on their way. Kenma flinches when Kuroo’s hand touches his, and then he remembers the whole “fake relationship” thing and relaxes slightly, taking Kuroo’s hand and intertwining their fingers as if it’s a natural thing to do. From now on, they’re in a relationship. Kenma pulls the silver ring out of his pocket and examines it for a moment before slipping it on his finger, Kuroo watching him in fascination.

The word ‘engaged’ keeps going around in Kenma’s head as he looks at the ring on his hand. He briefly wonders whether he and Kuroo can pull off acting like an engaged couple, but shuts that down because it’s something that they  _ must _ pull off, no matter what. 

The taxi stops outside of the building where the auction is taking place, and they pay the driver and get out, Kenma making sure that he still has his bag. 

They walk through the doors to see a lot of rich-looking people, all dressed in black and white suits. Kenma is thankful that Akaashi had a spare suit he could borrow, because he would have stood out way too much wearing a hoodie and jeans like he usually does.

Kuroo takes Kenma’s hand again and leads him to the sign that says ‘Auction this way.’ with an arrow pointing to the room on the left. They make their way inside and seat themselves at the back. They’re not planning on buying anything, they’re just here to feign a “fateful run-in” with their assassination target. 

Kenma hadn’t realised just how boring auctions were if you weren’t a rich old man. He focuses his attention solely on the target, ignoring all of the people bidding around him. Suddenly, a strange looking statue is brought out and the auction hall gets extremely loud all of a sudden. Everybody rushes to bid, including the target. A lot of people give up when the bids get too high, until it’s just the target bidding.

“Any other bids? N-”

Suddenly, Kenma pushes Kuroo’s arm up, and the target makes direct eye contact with them before raising his own hand.

“Kenma! What the hell are you doing?” Kuroo shouts in a hushed whisper. Kenma just glares at him, trying to communicate non-verbally. Kuroo seems to get the hint, because he continues to bid, even when the price is way more than the amount of money they actually have. Kenma notices that the target is starting to get nervous, so he quickly pulls Kuroo’s arm down and they stop bidding. The target was the last bidder, and he won.

Kuroo glances down at Kenma, who smirks slightly.

“Contact has been made.”

The auction lasts another hour, and they stay seated until the target stands up and leaves the room. Kenma quickly pulls Kuroo up and drags him along, their hands linked as they walk through the door. Kenma sees the target and quickly turns to Kuroo before he can spot them. 

“Seriously Kenma, what are you doing?” Kuroo asks, starting to get frustrated at how little he knows about what the hell Kenma is doing.

“Bidding against him drew his attention to us, don’t you see? He’ll come over at any second now and ask us questions.” Kenma explains, and before Kuroo can even react, somebody clears their throat behind them. They both turn around to see the target behind them, a stoic expression on his face as he looks them up and down.

“Who are you guys?” He asks, his voice deep and serious.

“I’m Kozume Kenma, and this is my fiance Kuroo Tetsurou. Pleasure to meet you…” Kenma trails off, waiting for the man to introduce himself.

“Nakamura Akifumi, pleasure to meet you too.” He introduces, extending his hand for Kenma to shake. They shake hands, and he turns to Kuroo. 

“You guys are engaged?” He asks, and Kuroo nods. Kenma nudges him in the side, indicating for him to say something.

“It’s been a nightmare trying to plan the wedding though. We haven’t been able to find a suitable wedding planner and it seems like it might just be easier to give up at this point…” Kuroo improvises, and Kenma nods along solemnly. Fukushima seems to think for a second, before speaking again.

“Well I actually um… own a wedding planning agency, coincidentally. Why don’t you come visit us sometime? Here’s my business card, feel free to call anytime.” He offers, and Kenma smiles graciously.

“Really? Thank you so much Fukushima-san. It really means a lot to us!” Kenma smiles, putting emphasis on the last sentence. The man smiles before walking back over to the people he came with. Kuroo and Kenma let out a slow exhale before turning to look at each other. They smile at each other and walk out of the doors, the first part of their plan complete.

The two of them get back to the hotel in a hurry, anticipating the next part of their plan. They immediately sit down, and Kenma pulls out a notebook. It’s risky to carry around a copy of the plan on paper, they know that. However they cannot risk messing up or forgetting anything, it could very easily cost them their lives.

“So the first step is complete; ‘Meet the target and find an excuse to further keep in contact.’” Kenma says, crossing the line out with his pen.

“Next is step two. Remember Kuro, every single part of this plan is important. One mistake and-”

“We’re dead, I know. We’ve got this, Kenma, we’re both professionals.” Kuroo interrupts with a sigh, and Kenma nods hesitantly. It isn’t that he doesn’t trust Kuroo, he’s just worried. This is the biggest mission they’ve ever been assigned, he’s bound to feel anxious about it. Kuroo looks at him understandingly. 

“Let’s go to bed, yeah?” Kuroo says, standing up and extending his hand for Kenma to take. They go to their own beds and lay down, attempting to sleep. Their efforts are futile as they both stay awake, eyes wide open and staring blankly as they stare at the ceiling. Kenma thinks about every possible outcome tomorrow, and Kuroo wishes to find some way to put Kenma at ease.

Neither of them sleep very much at all, which becomes obvious when Kuroo walks into Kenma in the kitchen drinking his fifth cup of coffee.

“Kenma… it’s 8 a.m., you really shouldn’t be drinking that much coffee.” Kuroo warns, and as if to spite him, Kenma downs the rest of the coffee, glaring at Kuroo once he’s done.

Kuroo just sighs and gets a cup of his own, filling it with coffee and sipping it slowly. He leans back against the counter next to Kenma and nudges him lightly.

“You okay?” Kuroo asks, and Kenma nods, slow and unconvincing. 

“C’mon Kenma, you were so sure of yourself when we started, don’t get nervous now!” Kuroo teases, and Kenma chuckles softly, nodding his head.

“Lets go.” Kenma says, standing up straight in an attempt to psyche himself up. It works, and he charges out of the door leaving Kuroo to slam his cup on the counter and catch up with his best friend.

The agency is relatively close to the hotel they’re staying at, so it only takes about ten minutes to get there. Before going into the building, they go into a nearby alleyway and go through the plan once more. Kenma links his and Kuroo’s hands together, eliciting a noise of surprise from the other man. 

“We are a couple, aren’t we?” Kenma smirks, and Kuroo blushes lightly and clears his throat.

“L-Let’s go!” He whisper-shouts, and they go through the doors to the agency. The interior is nothing like they expected. They had anticipated some sense of normalcy, since they had to hide the fact that it was a front, however they hadn’t expected it to seem so… flawless.

There are dresses and suits everywhere, along with decorations and flowers. It all looked so innocent, despite the information that Kuroo and Kenma had discovered previously. They almost doubted their research, or thought they had walked into the wrong building, until the boss came to greet them.

“Hey! Glad you guys could make it!” He says, shaking both of their hands before gesturing for them to follow him into the back of the store.

They sit down on white leather seats, Kenma and Kuroo’s hands still intertwined. Their linked hands provide comfort and reassurance, making it easier for them to keep their minds steady and not make any mistakes.

“So, when are you thinking of holding the ceremony?” Nakamura asks, pulling out his notebook. Kenma thinks for a second before looking at Kuroo.

“It’s July right now and we want plenty of time to prepare so… winter?” Kenma suggests, and Kuroo nods. Nakamura smiles as he writes notes, and Kuroo squeezes Kenma’s hand.

“Okay, and where would you like to get married?” The questions seemed to go on forever, and the answers were mostly improvisation on the two assassins’ part. Still, they managed to not slip up, and were able to seem like an actual couple. 

“I think that’s everything for now! I look forward to working with you for the next couple of months to make sure that everything is perfect with your wedding!” Nakamura says cheerfully, and the ‘couple’ smile gratefully as they walk out, waving goodbye.

It’s only when the doors close behind them that their shoulders drop, breathing for what feels like the first time in hours.

They walk back to the hotel slowly, having no reason to rush and just enjoying the soft summer breeze. They don’t even realise that their hands are still linked. It feels just as natural as breathing, a thought that will probably keep them awake at night as they wonder what that could possibly mean.

They get back to the hotel and take turns showering, before sitting on the floor and taking out their notebook. Kenma crosses step two off, and they look at step three.

“This is the most difficult part of the plan… the actual infiltration.” Kenma says, sounding much more confident than yesterday. Kuroo smiles at the fact that the mission is almost done.

“Kenma…” Kuroo starts, and Kenma is expecting some stupidly philosophical shit. “You’re getting water all over the notebook.”

Kenma looks down to see water droplets on the paper, and quickly moves the notebook away from where his hair is dripping. Kuroo just sighs and grabs a towel, before sitting on the bed behind Kenma and ruffling his hair.

“Kuro, what are you doing?” Kenma asks, and Kuroo starts drying his hair for him.

“I don’t want you to get water all over our plan, dumbass.” Kuroo says teasingly, and Kenma’s cheeks turn slightly red.

“Anyway, how’re we gonna do this?” Kuroo asks, and Kenma thinks for a second. They need to find a solid plan for their infiltration, a way to get into the organisation and close to the boss- their target. 

“Wait… I have an idea.” Kuroo exclaims suddenly, and starts explaining. Kenma nods along, taking notes of the plan while Kuroo continues to dry his hair. 

“That’s a surprisingly good plan… for you anyway.” Kenma teases, and Kuroo rolls his eyes. “The only issue is that it’s way too early to do step 3 now. We’re gonna have to get to know the boss and become fairly close to him, to minimise the danger of your plan. We’ll probably need at least a month to get close to him.”

Kuroo stops to think for a second, dropping the towel and resting his chin on Kenma’s head. 

“You’re right. Okay, so we’ll go forward with the plan in a month? That gives us more time to map out the specifics too.” Kuroo mumbles, and Kenma nods, leaning backwards.

He hadn’t realised just how close he and Kuroo were until their faces were only inches apart, Kuroo looking down at him. They stare into each other’s eyes for however long, and find themselves subconsciously getting closer and closer. 

Until Kuroo’s phone rings.

Kuroo jumps back in surprise, and glances at Kenma before answering the call.

“Hello, Kiyoko-san!” Kuroo says cheerfully.

“Kuroo, hello. Have you been well? How’s the mission going?” Kiyoko asks, slight concern lacing her voice.

“We’re doing okay, and so far everything is going as planned.” He answers, and a sigh of relief can be heard from Kiyoko.

“Do you know when you’ll be back?” 

“I think it could take up to two months. Getting close to the target and into the organisation may take a while, and then we’ll have to prepare for the assassination.” Kuroo explains, and Kiyoko hums in response.

“I see. I hope Kozume is doing well too, please send him my regards.” She says, and Kuroo agrees, thanking her before saying goodbye and hanging up.

“What did she say?” Kenma asks, sitting up and not making eye contact with Kuroo. 

“She said that she hopes you’re well, and she anticipates our return.” Kuroo answers, coughing slightly. Kenma nods in return and gets back to drying his own hair. Kuroo is about to offer to do it for him, but senses the awkwardness in doing so and decides against it, laying back on the bed instead.

Neither of them talk about their almost-kiss for weeks after that, being too busy with planning the next stage and getting closer to their target. The awkwardness had dissipated quickly, however that didn’t stop them from thinking about it and wondering what the hell could have happened if Kiyoko-san hadn’t called at that moment.

The next month passes by fairly quickly, and that time is spent formulating details for their plan and making sure everything is ready. They also make sure to get closer to the target, and do so successfully. Until suddenly it’s time for the third stage to begin. Kenma makes sure he hides the small bottle of cyanide in a place that cannot be easily found, and they head to the wedding planning agency.

As anticipated, the boss isn’t there when they arrive. They nod at each other and go into the back of the store, hands intertwined as they look for their target. They come across a room in the back with the door and blinds closed, and Kuroo squeezes Kenma’s hand in affirmation. They put their heads up to the door and listen to what the people inside are saying.

“Make sure he can’t tell anybody what he saw here, got it?” A voice says loudly, and Kenma winces. They hear footsteps coming towards the door, and it swings open. They both jump backwards, and the person in the doorway freezes momentarily.

“How long have you been standing there?” Nakamura asks, and Kuroo shakes his head frantically.

“We just got here! We didn’t hear anything, I swear!” He says, and his grip on Kenma’s hand tightens.

“Boss, what should we do with them?” The person in front of them says, and Nakamura gestures for the two people he was meeting with to leave.

He sternly tells Kuroo and Kenma to come into the room, and they comply, walking in hesitantly and standing in front of his desk.

“Why are you here?” He asks, and Kenma steps forward.

“We were looking for you, and then came across this room. We wanted to check whether you were in here, that’s all.” He says confidently, and Nakamura nods.

“I’m assuming you heard some… things, right?” Nakamura asks, but they all know it’s a rhetorical question. He puts his head in his hands and sighs deeply.

“Sato, Hinata, deal with these guys.” He commands loudly, and the two people from before come back into the room. Before they can touch Kenma, he pulls out a pocket knife and points it at them.

“Now now, let’s not be haste here, Nakamura-san. I think this is a fine opportunity for all of us.” Kuroo says, grinning.

Nakamura stares at them, eyes wide in shock.. He quickly puts up his hand, a command for the two employees to stay still.

He stays silent for several seconds before asking questions.

“What opportunity?” He asks, and Kenma puts the knife back into his pocket.

“Well, we need a job.” Kenma shrugs nonchalantly, and something seems to click in Nakamura’s mind.

“Is this why you approached me before at the auction? And pretended to be engaged?” Nakamura asks, and Kuroo shakes his head.

He and Kenma had decided to keep up their act, purely to make them seem less suspicious. They thought it would be easier to pretend that it was all just a coincidence.

“Actually, we are planning to get married soon. And the meeting at the auction was a coincidence. Pure luck, in our case.” Kuroo says, grabbing Kenma’s hand and intertwining them together.

“I see… And you want to work for me?” Nakamura asks, and they both nod. “Why?”

“Quite simply, we need money.” Kenma shrugs, and Nakamura stares at them both.

“Okay.” He says, and Kuroo and Kenma look up at him simultaneously.

“Y-Yeah?” Kuroo stutters out, surprised at how easily he agreed. 

“Seriously? You mean it right?” Kenma asks, skeptical. Nakamura looks him in the eyes and nods, a smile painted on his face.

“You both seem like very capable young men, I see no reason to refuse.” He explains, standing up and walking towards the two of them.

“Welcome to the agency.” Nakamura says, a grin on his face as he pats them both on the shoulder.

“Hinata! Show these guys to an empty room.” He commands, and Kenma looks at him quizzically. “Well, we can’t have you living in a hotel, can we?”

“There aren’t many people working with us at the moment, which is probably why the boss was so quick to hire you. It definitely isn’t bad here though, and the pay is good.” Hinata explains as they walk up the stairs and through the halls to find a vacant room.

“How many employees are there?” Kuroo asks, and Hinata stops to count.

“There’s around 23 of us, I believe. Well, 25 now that you guys have decided to join us. Welcome, by the way!” Hinata says happily, and the two of them thank him.

They stop outside a door with the number 12 on it, and Hinata pulls out a key and opens it.

“Here’s your room! There’s a bathroom behind that door there,” He points to a door on the left, “And one double bed since you guys are… y’know.” Hinata blushes at the last part, and Kenma wonders how somebody like this is involved with organised crime.

“Thank you, Hinata. We’ll have to go back to the hotel to get our things and check out, so we’ll be heading out now.” Kuroo says, but Kenma just flops onto the bed.

Kuroo pushes him, but he barely reacts, grumbling and pushing his face further into the pillow. Hinata laughs lightly from the doorway, and Kuroo turns to him.

“Sorry about this idiot.” Kuroo apologises, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Ah no, it’s okay! I can ask the boss to send somebody to get your luggage, if that would be easier for you?” He suggests, and Kuroo thinks for a second before nodding once he’s positive that there isn’t anything regarding their mission in their luggage, just in case they decide to check through it. 

“That would be great, thanks Hinata-kun!” He says cheerfully, waving him goodbye. As soon as the door closes, Kuroo punches Kenma lightly in the shoulder. Kenma just groans and rolls over, facing his best friend who’s sitting next to him on the bed.

They spend the afternoon doing nothing. They’d passed the third stage of their plan, now it’s time for the final stage; the assassination.

Kenma already knows how it’s going to be done, all they need to do is find an escape route and information about the agency and their schedule, and they’ll be good to go.

At some point Hinata comes back with their luggage, but they barely unpack their things. They just take some clothes out and shove them in drawers loosely. They really aren’t planning to stay for long.

As the weeks pass, they find themselves getting close with Hinata, for some strange reason. He’s a genuinely good person, and both Kenma and Kuroo think it truly is a shame that they’ll have to leave him here to deal with the aftermath of their assassination.

The two of them are walking through the halls when they hear a loud crash from the bosses office, accompanied with loud shouting. They pause for a second before walking over to the room and looking through the glass. The first thing they see is Hinata, completely frozen with fear, and Nakamura standing there yelling at him.

“What the hell is wrong with you?! I should have never employed you, you’re absolutely worthless!” He yells, and Kenma and Kuroo watch as he continues shouting insults at the man. 

Suddenly Kenma bursts into the room, startling both Kuroo and Hinata. The boss just stands there, anger evident on his face.

“Somebody outside wants to meet with you, they say it’s an emergency.” He says, and Nakamura storms out of the room, glaring at Kuroo on his way out.

Kenma and Kuroo immediately rush towards Hinata, who has tears streaming down his face.

“Shouyou! Are you okay?” Kenma asks him. Hinata shakes slightly, but nods his head and wipes his tears away with his hand.

Kuroo and Kenma take Hinata back to their room, sitting him on the bed and giving him a warm drink.

“Why was he so angry?” Kuroo asks softly, and Hinata just lowers his head.

“I accidentally messed up a little, it doesn’t matter.” He says, and before Kuroo can say anything he speaks up again.

“One day I’ll be able to get out of here.” He mumbles, and Kenma looks up at Kuroo.

Kuroo nods and stands up, facing Hinata.

“Come on, let me take you back to your room.” He offers, and Hinata nods. When they leave, Kenma falls back on the bed. 

When Kuroo comes back, Kenma sits up and gestures to him to sit on the bed next to him.

“Kuro-” 

“I know what you’re going to suggest, but it’s really risky, Kenma.” Kuroo cuts him off, and Kenma’s face drops.

“We can’t just leave him here! Who knows what will happen when we run? He’s our friend, Kuro.” Kenma says, and Kuroo closes his eyes and exhales slightly.

“Okay, what if we invite him to work with us? He doesn’t have to become an assassin or anything, but he can help out. That’s the only solution I can think of.” Kuroo suggests, and Kenma smiles softly.

“I’ll call Kiyoko-san to ask for her permission first, and then we’ll sort it out with Hinata.” Kuroo says, and grabs his phone.

“Is everything okay?” Kiyoko asks, finding it unusual to be receiving a call from Kuroo.

“Everything is going okay, however,” Kuroo stops to think for a second about how he should approach the question. “I was wondering if you would be open to hiring a new member.”

“A new member?” Kiyoko asks curiously.

“Yeah. He really wants to get out of this place.” Kuroo says, and Kiyoko ponders for a moment.

“Okay, that’s fine, as long as you let him make the decision himself.” She says, and Kuroo smiles happily.

“Thank you! Oh and also, I think we’ll be able to come back soon, probably within the next few days!” He informs Kiyoko.

“That’s good, I’ll see you soon then. Good luck.” Kiyoko says, before hanging up.

“Hey, boss. Everything’s going fine, I was just wondering whether you would be open to a new recruit. Yeah, we want to help him escape here with us after the mission is over. I was thinking he could be an assistant alongside Yachi-san, or something like that. Would that be okay? Yes… okay. Thank you, Kiyoko-san!” Kuroo hangs up and turns to Kenma, a huge grin on his face.

“She said that it’s okay as long as he agrees to leave. If he doesn’t want to then there’s nothing we can do.” Kuroo says, and Kenma nods. They both assume that he’ll say yes, but ultimately they don’t know whether he actually will.

“We’ll talk to him tomorrow, let’s just rest for now.” Kenma says, and Kuroo is more than on board with that idea. They both lay in silence, eyes closed and breathing steady.

“Hey, Kuro?” Kenma whispers, and Kuroo turns to face him. Their faces are mere inches away from each other, and Kenma’s breath hitches. They stare at each other, and it feels like time stops. Kuroo’s heart feels like it’s jumping out of his chest as he looks at Kenma. 

“Can I kiss you?” Kuroo whispers, barely audible. Kenma looks at his lips and nods, moving closer slightly. Kuroo closes the gap between them, pressing his lips gently against Kenma’s. There aren’t any fireworks like in the movies, but rather a comfortable warmth that spreads throughout their bodies. Kuroo pulls away after a few seconds, butterflies pooling in the pit of his stomach. 

Kenma sits up, wrapping his arms around his best friend’s neck and pulling him in, pressing their lips together again. It feels natural, as if they had done this countless times before. Kuroo places his hands on Kenma’s waist, closing his eyes and reciprocating the kiss. It doesn't last nearly as long as they would have hoped for. It isn’t long before they break apart once again, resting their foreheads together, breathing heavily.

Kenma’s head finds its way to Kuroo’s shoulder, and he buries his head in the crook of his neck. Kuroo kisses the top of his head, smiling fondly.

“That was… um…” Kuroo stutters out, embarrassment evident in his red cheeks. Kenma lifts his head and takes Kuroo’s face in his hands, squishing it slightly.

“Wh-What are you doing?!” Kuroo says, face heating up even more. Kenma plants a small kiss on his lips and smiles.

“I like you, Kuro.” He confesses, and Kuroo feels like he’s going to explode. Kuroo tries to formulate a response in his head, but settles instead for pulling Kenma into his arms and hugging him tightly, hoping he understands what he means. They fall down onto the bed, still holding each other in their arms, and eventually fall asleep.

Kenma wakes up with his head buried in Kuroo’s chest and the events from the previous night come back to him. 

_ “I like you, Kuro.” _

Kenma shudders and his face heats up in embarrassment. He pushes himself up, instantly feeling the loss of warmth. Kuroo’s eyes open slightly, and he sleepily smiles.

“Good morning.” He mumbles, sitting up next to Kenma and brushing the hair out of his face to plant a kiss on his head.

“Let’s hurry up and get ready to speak to Shouyou, it’s already 8 a.m.” Kenma says, trying to (unsuccessfully) force the obvious fondness out of his voice.

They eventually get ready to leave, but it takes longer than usual due to Kuroo’s newfound clinginess. Kenma has to physically drag Kuroo out of their room and to Hinata’s.

Kenma knocks on the door and a sleepy (but still somehow energetic) Hinata opens it, greeting them and inviting them inside.

“Hey, guys! What’s up?” He asks, and Kenma realises that he hadn’t planned what he was going to say at all. He looks at Kuroo for assistance, but he just shrugs.

“Shouyou, do you want to leave here?” Kenma begins, and Hinata instantly nods.

“What if we told you that we have a way to get you out?” Kuroo smirks, and Kenma swears he sees actual stars in Hinata’s eyes.

“Really? How?” He asks, and Kuroo looks at Kenma, who nods at him to continue.

“You have to keep what we say a secret, got it?” Kuroo warns, and Hinata nods, putting a finger up to his lips.

After a long explanation of why they’re actually there, Hinata nods excitedly.

“So you’re actually assassins? That’s so cool! I don’t think I would be able to kill anybody though…” He says, assuming that he has to be an assassin to join them.

“That’s okay, you don’t have to kill anybody! If you choose to come with us, the boss and I agreed that it would be okay for you to become an assistant or something like that!” Kuroo tells him, and Hinata’s face lights up again.

“Really? Are you sure I won’t be imposing?” He asks, and Kuroo ruffles his hair.

“Of course not, Shouyou. We’d be happy to have you.” Kenma reassures, and Hinata thinks for a second before deciding.

“Then I’ll come with you, if that’s okay.” He says, and Kuroo nods happily.

“Would you be okay with leaving tonight?” Kenma asks, and both Kuroo and Hinata look surprised.

“Tonight?! Isn’t that too soon?” Kuroo exclaims, but Kenma shakes his head.

“The sooner we’re done with this, the better. Both for our safety and Shouyou’s.” Kenma says, and Kuroo agrees hesitantly. 

“So we’re leaving tonight? Got it!” Hinata says excitedly, jumping off the bed and grabbing a bag, filling it with clothes and other things. Kuroo and Kenma watch as he bounces around, seemingly really happy to be given an opportunity to get out of this place.

The two assassins explain the details of the plan to Hinata, who listens intently to what they say. This is his only chance to get out of there, he can’t mess anything up. For the sake of all three of them.

Eventually Kuroo and Kenma retreat back to their own room to prepare for the most important part of the mission. Kuroo makes sure that everything is packed away while Kenma gets the bottle of cyanide ready, slipping it into his pocket alongside a syringe.

During the day, they do their usual work to not arouse any suspicion, interacting with the boss as if he wasn’t going to be found dead tomorrow morning. Nighttime comes quickly, and before they know it they’re standing outside Nakamura’s room.

“You two stay here and make sure nobody comes, I’ll be done quickly.” Kenma whispers, and Kuroo nods, gently grabbing Hinata’s arm and pulling him away from the door.

Kenma puts on gloves before he enters the room slowly, making sure that the target is asleep before approaching him silently. He pulls the poison from his pocket and prepares the syringe before walking towards the bed. Kenma grabs a pillow from beside the sleeping man and holds it on his face, to ensure that he cannot see anything or make any noise. He then pushes the syringe into the side of the target's neck, and waits until he’s definitely unconscious to take the pillow away.

He watches as the target begins to have a seizure, just standing there and waiting for it to end so that he can check whether he’s dead. He walks over to the body and presses his fingers to the man’s pulse. He’s dead.

The assassin silently exits the room, meeting Kuroo and Hinata outside.

“He’s dead, now we’ve gotta leave quickly.” Kenma says, and the two other men grab their bags and walk downstairs quietly, careful not to make too much noise.

Once they make it out of the building, they all sigh in relief simultaneously, despite knowing that it isn’t over yet.

“What now?” Hinata asks, a distressed look on his face.

“Sorry, Shouyou, I don’t think we’ll be able to get any rest for a while. The train back to Tokyo is coming soon.” Kenma says solemnly, and Hinata just nods.

“Don’t worry Shouyou-kun! The agency will provide us with full protection. Our security is one of the best!” Kuroo boasts, and Kenma slaps him on the arm lightly.

They head quickly to the station, just making it in time to catch the train to Tokyo. Kuroo and Hinata fall asleep pretty quickly, Kuroo’s head resting on Kenma’s shoulder. Kenma however, is worried about them being caught. He knows that he didn’t mess up the assassination, however that doesn’t stop him from being worried.

By the time they get back to the agency, it’s roughly 2am. They’re all tired, however they notice that Kiyoko and some others had stayed up to welcome them back.

“Bro!” Bokuto shouts, running up to Kuroo excitedly. While they talk about what happened during the mission, Akaashi approaches Kenma quietly. He looks down at Kenma’s hand, still intertwined with Kuroo’s, and raises an eyebrow.

“Isn’t the mission over, Kozume-san? Why are you two still holding hands?” He smirks, and Kenma mumbles something under his breath and his face heats up.

“This must be the new recruit.” A voice comes from behind them, and Akaashi moves to the side to reveal a curious Oikawa Tooru, with Kageyama following closely behind him. After everybody catches up, Yachi comes out of Kiyoko’s office to tell the three of them to go into her office.

“Did it go well?” Kiyoko asks as soon as they enter the office, and the two of them nod. She congratulates them on the successful mission before turning to Hinata.

“You must be Hinata?” She asks rhetorically, but he says yes anyway.

“It’s nice to meet you, Hinata-kun. We can discuss the specifics of your position tomorrow., Ffor now, you three should get some rest.” Kiyoko says, and they agree without hesitation. 

By the time they leave the office, everybody has dispersed into their own rooms. Kuroo shows Hinata to the spare room before heading back to his and Kenma’s. He immediately flops onto his own bed, breathing for what feels like the first time in months.Kuroo opens his eyes when he hears Kenma coming out of the bathroom, and he sits up.

“Kenma, I think we need to talk about the whole… kiss thing.” Kuroo says, and Kenma agrees, sitting down next to him and handing him a towel. Kuroo takes it as a gesture for him to help dry his hair, so he takes the towel and begins to dry Kenma’s hair with it.

“Do you like me, Kuro?” Kenma asks abruptly, and Kuroo sputters slightly.

“I will never understand how you can ask something like that with a straight face.” He says, unaware of the embarrassed expression on the other man’s face, “But yes.. I do like you.”

Kuroo drops the towel and wraps his arms around Kenma’s waist, using his shoulder to rest his head on.

“Are we dating now then?” Kenma asks, and Kuroo freezes for a second.

“Do you want to?” He mumbles into Kenma’s shoulder, and the other man hums softly as he thinks about his answer.

“I think so… even if I’m scared of our relationship changing, it probably won’t be too different right?” He says, and Kuroo nods affirmatively.

“The only thing that will change is the fact that I can hug you whenever I want to now.” Kuroo grins, tightening his hold. Kenma rolls his eyes but leans back into him anyway, feeling the comforting warmth of Kuroo’s embrace.

“Wow… the greatest thing that came out of this mission was getting to make you my boyfriend.” Kuroo smirks, and Kenma turns to him with a deadpan expression.

“Technically aren’t I the one who made  _ you _ my boyfriend? Since I confessed first.” He states, smiling innocently. Kuroo scoffs but doesn’t deny it. They lay back in the bed that is definitely not made for two people and Kenma’s head ends up buried in the crook of his boyfriend's neck. From the exhaustion of the day, they both fall asleep practically immediately.

The next morning, the two of them walk into the main area and sit across from Akaashi and Yukie who are drinking their coffee. They hear Bokuto and Hinata in the kitchen, probably making a huge mess. Kuroo strokes Kenma’s hair before standing up, kissing him on the top of the head before going to join them in the kitchen.

Akaashi turns to Yukie and extends his hand out, a sly smirk on his lips as Yukie shoves 7000 yen into his hand, muttering under her breath about how annoying Akaashi can be sometimes.

Kenma just watches the exchange happen before connecting the dots. 

“I hate you both so much.” He says, glaring at them. Yukie just smiles innocently before pointing behind Kenma.

“Your boyfriend is here.” She teases, and Kenma turns around to see Kuroo holding two mugs of coffee. He stands up and takes one of the mugs, and they head out to the balcony.

The two of them look up at the sky, fingers interlocked and sides pressed together. The silence between them is comfortable, and they just appreciate the fact that they have each other by their sides. 

“I meant it, you know. When I said that you were the best thing to come out of this mission.” Kuroo says sincerely, looking at Kenma with a fond smile.

“I know. And I mean it when I do this.” Kenma whispers, before pulling Kuroo down into a kiss. Kuroo wraps his arms around Kenma’s waist, pulling him in closer and smiling against his boyfriend’s lips. The sun rises behind them, making the sky a mix of different shades of orange and pink. Kuroo pulls away from the kiss and admires Kenma, wondering how he managed to get so lucky.

**Author's Note:**

> this is a gift for the wonderful [sakusantic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sakusantic)!!! i really hope you like it!!


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